Sports history is filled with inspiring, true stories tailor made for film. Even people like me, who don’t know a backhand from a ball toss and nothing of love (which I just learned is a score of zero, so, ouch), can get caught up in the drama of overcoming impossible odds. We all experience times in life when we feel we’re facing the impossible and know we have to say a prayer and try anyway. In Ephesians 2:10 we’re reminded that God created us in Christ for predetermined good works. That sounds great! Until we hit that last word: works. Plural. Lots of work.
God never explicitly says that nothing good comes easy. We have life experience for that. Some people, of course, have to put in more effort than others so their stories are especially inspiring. Never Give Up is the latest offering from producer Rick Eldrige (The Ultimate Gift) and tells the true story of Brad Minns.
I didn’t know his name, yet what he accomplished through perseverance isn’t easily forgotten. After a severe fever as an infant destroyed most of his hearing, Minns faced life as an outsider through no fault of his own. Thanks to the loving support of his parents, he never gave in to self-pity or anger. Cast as Minns, professional tennis player Harrison Stone does an excellent job conveying the frustration, determination and sense of humor it took for Minns to succeed.
Minns’ mother Fran (Erin Bethea) shared her love of tennis with him, while his father “Bear” (Drew Waters), a successful salesman, encouraged charisma. Bullied at school by teachers and students alike, the young Minns (Thomas Parobek) desperately needed their support. But thanks to that and a solid work ethic, in college Minns was offered the opportunity to compete in men’s singles tennis at the 1985 Deaf Olympics.
The movie intercuts his life story with the grueling match. Though his opponent, Jeff Osborne (Roland Eldridge) is also deaf, Minns still finds himself out of place. He’s a naive kid from Ohio who never learned to sign. He suffers a fair amount of hazing, and players aren’t allowed to wear hearing aids. Down by a significant amount, Minns says a quiet prayer. This is one of only two overtly religious moments in the film, though that hardly makes it any less a Christian movie. That prayer was one of the defining moments of his life.
Aside from some brief, crude humor, there’s nothing here to give families pause. Hopefully we can also recognize ourselves in Minns’s story. Because no matter how much work God has prepared for us, we can also see how much love He has given us so that we should be called children of God (1 John 3:1). (ReelWorks Studios)
About the Author
Trevor Denning is an alumni of Cornerstone University and lives, lifts weights, and spends too much time in his kitchen in Alma, Mich. His first short story collection is St. George Drive and Other Stories.